A Matter of Duty
by Megaraptor
Summary: A tale of Megaman Xtreme 2. Zero faces off against a reborn Maverick... his former 2nd-in-command: Blast Hornet (rated for violence and such between robots)


A Matter of Duty  
  
A Tale of Megaman X-treme 2: Soul Eraser  
  
Notes - This story takes place in Megaman X-treme 2, for the Game Boy. Its plot involves a bunch of Mavericks being reborn. Blast Hornet is one of them. I thought of something I once read about Blast before, and decided to put the battle with him in MMXt2 into story form..  
  
Keep in mind, I haven't played the game...  
  
UPDATE - August 14th, 2002: I went back and fixed some of the stuff with the story.  
  
The line of dashes indicates a flashback.  
  
  
  
"Zero, I'm getting a signal. I'm detecting the Maverick close by."  
  
Zero sighed, drawing his sabre. "I read you Iris. Thanks..."  
  
"No problem," the rookie spotter replied. "Uhm, be careful, ok...?"  
  
Zero smirked. "I doubt anything will happen to me, but thanks anyway... Anyway, I'll contact you in case I get into too much trouble. Zero, over and out."  
  
The red Maverick Hunter sighed. Here he was, in the middle of some floating fortress, hunting a Maverick who should be all rights, dead...  
  
This blasted Soul Eraser ordeal... it caused reploid DNA to be remolded, making them mindless drones. What's more, whoever was behind all this, had already caused the rebirth of several Mavericks. And of course, he and X had been dispatched to take care of those Mavericks... Already, he had defeated Wire Sponge and Overdrive Ostrich. Then, he had come here... here to the Ragland Island airport, sneaking aboard the warship that had lifted off. He battled his way into the depths of the ship, searching for the Maverick commander... ... Zero knew it would be a familiar face. He just didn't know which one it'd be...  
  
Zero emerged into a larger, empty hangar. Iris had told him she'd detected the Maverick close by....  
  
"I'm glad you could make it.. Commander."  
  
Zero's eyes widened in suprise as he heard the familiar voice. He looked up. Hanging from the ceiling was a reploid bee. His arms were crossed, and he stared at Zero fiercely.  
  
"Blast Hornet..." Zero whispered.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
"Zero, as you know, the reploid engineer Dr. Doppler has supposedly engineered a cure for the virus that causes reploids to go Maverick."  
  
Zero rolled his eyes. "Of course," he told Dr. Cain. "It's not like that hasn't been all over the news for the last month."  
  
"Hmm," Cain replied. "Well, Zero, the commander of the Hunters has been ordered by the council to investigate the Doppler research facility in Doppletown, and the old braggart has assigned me to find someone to conduct the investigation.."  
  
Zero smirked. "I know what you're going to say Doc. No can do. I'm taking the new recruits on field training, remember?"  
  
Cain frowned. "... Oh. I had forgotten about that... you're joining X and the 17th unit for that, aren't you?"  
  
"Afraid so, Doc. You'll have to look elsewhere..."  
  
"I'll do it..."  
  
The reploid and human turned to face the one who had spoken up. It was the second-in-command of the Shinobi unit, Blast Hornet...  
  
"Blast?" Cain said. "Hmm... I suppose you could go, since Zero can't. But who will remain here to command the unit in case trouble arises?"  
  
"Heh, don't worry," Zero said. "Everything's been quiet for months, aside from the minor uprisings. And if that happens, Web Spider can take care of business here."  
  
"Zero's right, sir," Blast said. "The Shinobi unit will be just fine with both of us gone. Besides, I doubt I'll be gone long on this investigation. I've met Dr. Doppler. He's a nice guy, if not a little zealous... I doubt I'll find anything wrong there."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
The bee drones flew at Zero, he barely had any time to leap to the side and dodge them. He drew his sabre, looking up at Blast Hornet.  
  
"Blast?! They brought you back..?!"  
  
Blast Hornet would have grinned if he had a mouth. He released his hold on the ceiling, spreading his wings and beginning to hover in mid-air.  
  
"Indeed, 'Commander'. I didn't expect to see you here, though. What, you're actually retiring Mavericks on your own, instead of following X around like the last time?"  
  
Zero frowned. "The Sigma Virus still has an affect on you."  
  
Blast laughed. "You're also forgetting I died this way before. And I'm glad. The Sigma Virus opened my eyes, Zero. I was happy that I died a noble death, fighting a Maverick Hunter, instead of on the same side as one. And I'm happy to be given another chance to work towards the downfall of human kind!"  
  
"The Blast I knew would never have said that," Zero said. "He was dedicated to his duty... you're just a shadow of him."  
  
"Oh, but 'Commander'... I am dedicated to my duty. I've just been given a new one."  
  
"Enough talk," Zero said, narrowing his eyes. "Whether or not you're Blast, I came here with a job to do.."  
  
"Then by all means..." Blast replied, raising his cannon.  
  
"RAAARGH!!!" Zero yelled, dashing forward and leaping at the insectoid Maverick. In response, Blast flew backwards quickly, releasing a swarm of bee drones from his cannon. Zero swung his sabre, slicing through the drones and causing them to explode. He leapt through the resulting smoke, landing on the wall, siding down it.  
  
The familiar buzz of Blast's wings filled the air, as he flew at Zero, his stinger fully extended. "WHOAH!" Zero cried. He held up his sabre, blocking the bee's stinger with the energy blade.  
  
"Blast it!" Hornet cried. He flew back, and launched another drone at Zero. This one caught him by surprise, and struck his chest, latching onto it. Zero cried out in pain as the drone drained precious energy from his systems. Despite the pain it entailed, he tore the bug loose from his chest...  
  
... Only to be punched in the face by Hornet.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
"What?!"  
  
Dr. Cain sighed. "Doppletown has declared that is now waging war against the human race. Every reploid in the city has gone Maverick."  
  
"I heard you first time, Cain," Zero said, scowling.  
  
"How could this have happened?" X asked.  
  
"Doppler's anti-virus has been determined the source of the Maverick outbreak. It was distributed to every reploid in the city. It seems that instead of curing the Maverick virus, it spreads it."  
  
"Damnit!" Zero said. "... Wait. What about Blast? He went there to investigate..."  
  
Dr. Cain became silent.  
  
"What, what is it?"  
  
"Zero," Dr. Cain began, "Blast Hornet has been identified as one of the Mavericks.." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Zero fell forward on his back, and Blast drove his foot into Zero's face. Cackling viscously, the bee aimed his cannon.  
  
"Knocked off your feet already, 'Commander?" Blast asked. "Allow me to put you out of your misery..."  
  
Suddenly, the air sizzled and crackled with electricity. Current flew through Blast's entire body, causing the bee Maverick to yell out in pain. Zero took the opportunity to grab him by the leg, and literally throw him into the nearest wall.  
  
"What.. What was that..?" Blast asked he rose, staggering.  
  
"A technique I acquired from Wire Sponge," Zero said. "Lightning."  
  
Blast growled, glaring at the crimson Maverick. "You rip off other robot's moves too, Eh?"  
  
Zero grinned. "I guess you could say that. He's something else I've developed... DASH!"  
  
Before Hornet could react, Zero's acceleration system fired, and he shot like a rocket towards the bee Maverick. Bringing his arm up, Zero slammed into Hornet, pinning him against the rear wall.  
  
Blast groaned, and looked down at his scowling, former leader. The Maverick Hunter returned the look with an equally fierce gaze.  
  
"Do it..." Blast said. Zero nodded.  
  
Several seconds later, Zero's buster shot off Hornet's head.  
  
  
  
"Iris, this is Zero," the red Maverick Hunter said, perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean. "I've defeated the Maverick commander and sent down the warship."  
  
"That's great Zero," Iris said. "I trust you acquired the DNA data he had?"  
  
"Yep," Zero said. "I'll be by head-quarters to deliver it. How's X faring?"  
  
"He radioed in. He's taken down three Mavericks as well."  
  
"All right. See you at the HQ..."  
  
"We'll be waiting Zero. Iris, over and out."  
  
Zero looked out at the ocean, where the airship had crashed, and was currently burning and sinking. He sighed.  
  
"Goodbye...comrade."  
  
  
  
The End 


End file.
